Radio News

March was a devastating month for the owner of Radio.com, podcast players Pineapple Street and Cadence13, and AMs and FMs in some of the nation's top markets. Q1 2020 revenue was down 4% in Q1 as a result, despite strong growth in January and February. That revenue dip, plus increased expenses, swung Entercom to a big net loss in the quarter.

The news was supposed to be shared at 10:30am Central today. Instead, a veteran media observer in the Windy City committed "a cardinal sin in journalism" by breaking an embargo and sharing the big story early Wednesday morning. After nearly 36 years in Chicago, one of the nation's most respected radio news anchors is exiting the Entercom-owned station she works for.

As previously reported, five-time NAB Crystal Radio Award winning station KCVM-FM 93.5, a Class C3 facility in the Waterloo, Iowa, market, received the Crystal Heritage Award. What stations comprise the lucky 10 award winners for 2020? A heritage Urban AC in Washington, D.C., and a Cox Media Group Alternative FM in Tampa are among the honorees.

Some 27% consumers recently surveyed by Horowitz Research say they are watching more ads overall than before the pandemic. And, a third of respondents say they are paying attention to ads from local businesses more than they did before the COVID-19 crisis. How can broadcast TV stations capitalize on this? Horowitz SVP Adriana Waterston shares her thoughts. LISTEN HERE

“A Salute to the Songwriters,” presented by BMI, will feature country music star — and American Idol judge — Luke Bryan as a special guest co-host alongside air personalities representing stations owned by relief concert partners Cox Media Group, Alpha Media, Beasley Media Group, Hubbard Radio, Neuhoff Media and Townsquare Media.

“We have taken a very conservative, thorough and thoughtful approach to our company’s gradual reopening plan to provide, first and foremost, a safe and healthy work environment for our employees,” CEO Caroline Beasley said.

With the FCC presently seeking comment on whether or not to grant a transfer of majority control in Univision Communications to private investment firm SearchLight Capital Partners and ForgeLight, a company focused on media and consumer technology, the Miami-based Hispanic media entity released its Q1 2020 results. How did Univision do?

Three years ago, a Minnesota-based owner of radio stations headed by Kathy Lau and Shawn Skramstad made headlines for the liquidation of its properties. Now, Lau is in the news again -- this time for the sale of telecom assets in central South Dakota.

To protect itself from a possible hostile takeover bid, Entercom's board in late April gave an affirmative nod to a “limited duration shareholder rights plan.” Now, the board at the nation's No. 1 audio media company by radio station count has taken a similar course of action.

As the toll from the coronavirus has grown dramatically over time, the percentage of those who say journalists have greatly or slightly exaggerated the risks of the outbreak has decreased notably in recent weeks. That's a key finding from a newly released report from Pew Research Center.

A software developer and investor has taken a close look at the stock performance across the COVID-19 pandemic of one of the audio media industry's biggest companies. His conclusion? "Townsquare Media appears to be oversold." That's quite possibly some of the best news the company has received in weeks. Yet, its share price continues to be soft.

It's an unusual thing in unprecedented times: Saga Communications is the first radio broadcasting company to report its quarterly earnings for the three-month period ending March 31, 2020. Visibility is akin to a fogged-in airport, but things could start to look up in Q3, CFO Sam Bush and CEO Ed Christian said on their conference call that added color to the numbers it shared.

For 22 years, he dedicated his professional life to the radio broadcasting operation formerly known as CBS Radio. Now, he's back at Gotham properties this radio industry veteran knows very well, as he's succeeding Susan Larkin as SVP/Market Manager for Entercom/New York.

British and Polish citizens, respectively, who emerged as the buyers of an Upstate New York FM left for dead by its previous licensee in May 2019 formed a partnership with another husband-and-wife operator of radio stations in the region. Now, the two couples have united in licensee matrimony.

The nation’s leading multimedia company superserving African American consumers is requesting the FCC give it experimental authority to bring all-digital transmissions to one of its radio stations in Indianapolis. What’s noteworthy about the request? Digital multicasting on an AM signal.